Paul Erdős > Quotes

“[When asked why are numbers beautiful?]

It’s like asking why is Ludwig van Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony beautiful. If you don't see why, someone can't tell you. I know numbers are beautiful. If they aren't beautiful, nothing is.”
― Paul Erdos

“A mathematician is a device for turning coffee into theorems”
― Paul Erdos

“I'll tell you once,
and I'll tell you again.
There's always a prime
between n and 2n.”
― Paul Erdos, Topics in the Theory of Numbers

“It is not enough to be in the right place at the right time. You should also have an open mind at the right time.”
― Paul Erdős

“Végre nem butulok tovább
(Finally I am becoming stupider no more) --the epitaph Paul Erdös wrote for himself”
― Paul Erdös

“In a way, mathematics is the only infinite human activity. It is conceivable that humanity could eventually learn everything in physics or biology. But humanity certainly won't ever be able to find out everything in mathematics, because the subject is infinite. Numbers themselves are infinite. That's why mathematics is really my only interest.”
― Paul Erdős

“When Euler died, he simply said I am finished and collapsed, to which someone in the audience muttered darkly" Another conjecture of Euler is proved”
― Paul Erdos

“Before, when I looked at a piece of blank paper my mind was filled with ideas. Now all I see is a blank piece of paper”
― Paul Erdos

“When he said someone had "died", Erdős meant that the person had stopped doing mathematics. When he said someone had "left", the person had died.”
― Paul Erdős

“Mathematics is the surest way to immortality. If you make a big discovery in mathematics, you will be remembered after everyone else will be forgotten.”
― Paul Erdős

“Non numerantur, sed ponderantur”
― Paul Erdös

“here are three signs of senility. The first sign is that a man forgets his theorems. The second sign is that he forgets to zip up. The third sign is that he forgets to zip down.”
― Paul Erdős

“I know numbers are beautiful. If they aren't beautiful, nothing is.”
― Paul Erdős

“I am not qualified to say whether or not God exists. I kind of doubt He does. Nevertheless I'm always saying that the SF( The SF is the supreme Fascist, the Number-One guy up there) has this transfinite book-transfinite being a concept in mathematics that is larger than infinite-that contains the best proofs of all mathematical theorems, proofs that are elegant and perfect.”
― Paul Erdős

“You've showed me I'm not an addict, but I didn't get any work done...you've set mathematics back a month.”
― Paul Erdős